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Start before the announced shutdown deadline: make a final in-game save, wait for cloud synchronization, copy every local save folder to an external drive and a second location, and request any publisher data export while your account still works. A file backup can preserve a playable save only when the game reads that file without the retired service; characters, inventories, currencies, matchmaking records, and entitlements kept only on the publisher’s servers require a documented migration or export.
What you can actually preserve
Online games usually divide progress among several systems. A single backup method rarely covers all of them, so identify each component before copying anything.
| Progress component | Where it may be stored | What a backup can do | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local save files | Your computer or console storage | Can be copied, archived, and sometimes loaded offline or on another device | Only useful if the game can read the files without the retired service and the files are not encrypted or account-bound |
| Platform cloud files | Steam Cloud, Nintendo Save Data Cloud, GOG GALAXY synchronization, or another platform service | May restore configured files on a replacement device | The developer chooses what is synchronized; many games have no cloud coverage |
| Publisher-server progress | The game company’s account database | May be returned through a title-specific migration or data export | A copied folder cannot recreate a server-only character, inventory, currency, entitlement, or matchmaking record |
| Account and purchase records | Publisher, platform, or payment account | Receipts, linked accounts, and access details can document ownership and identity | These records do not necessarily contain a playable save |
| Evidence of achievements | Profile pages, screenshots, video, achievement services | Preserves a visual and historical record | Evidence is not the same as transferable game state |
The decisive question is whether the game can start and interpret the saved data after the online service disappears. If the title validates every character or item against a publisher database, local copying preserves a record at best, not a functioning replacement.
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Act before the shutdown deadline
Record the final access window
Find the publisher’s shutdown announcement, support article, or in-game notice. Write down the exact date, time zone, and any stated final login or transfer time. A service can stop accepting logins before servers are completely offline, and a data-export request may take longer than an ordinary download.
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Inventory every account and device
- List the publisher account, platform account, email address, and any linked console or social accounts.
- Note which device currently contains local saves and which devices have been used for cloud synchronization.
- Record the game edition, region, downloadable content, subscriptions, and major characters or profiles.
- Save purchase receipts, license details, order numbers, and account-recovery information in a secure location.
Do not close or delete the account while preservation work is in progress. Ubisoft’s account-support information, updated 2 June 2026, says permanent closure removes access to Ubisoft games, in-game progression, online services, and personal data. Other publishers may apply similar rules.
Make one final in-game save
- Launch the game while the service still accepts logins.
- Move each character or profile to a safe state, then use the game’s own save, logout, or quit command rather than forcing the application closed.
- Wait at the title screen or desktop until the game reports that saving and synchronization are complete.
- Record the time of this final save and, if practical, capture a screenshot of the character, inventory, settings, and account identifier.
Do not make an experimental change after the final save and assume an older cloud copy will remain available. Cloud systems can synchronize the newest state, including an accidental deletion.
Back up PC saves manually
Ubisoft Connect local saves
Ubisoft’s official procedure is to open the Ubisoft Connect installation folder, open the savegames directory, select the folder for the game, and copy it somewhere outside the installation folder. Use an external USB drive and, if possible, a separate cloud-storage location. Keep the original folder untouched and create dated copies such as GameName-2026-10-19-final.
Copying the folder is useful when a title supports local saves or offline play. It does not turn a server-only character into an offline character, and it does not preserve a publisher entitlement if the account is later closed.
Finding other PC save directories
The exact location depends on the game and operating system. Check the title’s support page, in-game settings, the platform’s store information, and the game’s installation documentation. Common locations include a folder inside the user profile, a documents directory, or a subfolder created by the launcher. Copy the complete game-specific directory, including configuration files that the title requires, rather than selecting one file whose purpose is unclear.
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Keep the copy outside the game’s installation directory. An update, uninstall operation, or corruption of the installation can otherwise remove both the program and the only backup.
Use two independent destinations
- Offline copy: an external USB hard drive or flash drive that is disconnected after copying.
- Off-device copy: cloud storage or another computer in a different physical location.
- Readable label: include the game name, platform, account identifier if appropriate, and date in the folder name.
An external drive stores only files that exist locally. It cannot export a server-side profile, and it cannot restore a game whose authentication service is required to read the files.
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Steam Cloud is selective
Steam Support states that Steam Cloud can contain settings, save games, profile statistics, and other user-specific data, but the developer decides which files are integrated. Many games do not use Steam Cloud, and Steam does not guarantee recovery of a lost save. Check the game’s store-page Cloud indicator and the title’s documented save path before relying on the feature.
Steamworks documentation describes the normal sequence: configured files are sent to Steam’s servers after the game exits and downloaded before launch on another computer. That behavior applies only to the paths and file types the developer configured. Account progress held on a game server is outside that file synchronization.
Check for a cloud conflict before the final copy
- Exit the game normally and wait for Steam to show that synchronization has finished.
- If Steam reports a conflict, stop and identify which copy has the newest timestamp or in-game progress.
- Choose deliberately; do not click through a conflict while trying to preserve both versions.
- After synchronization, copy the local save directory to the external and off-device destinations.
Keep a separate copy before resolving a conflict. That gives you a way to recover if the selected cloud version is older or incomplete.
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Steam’s Backup feature is not a complete archive
Steam’s built-in Backup feature works only for games fully downloaded, installed, and patched through Steam. Steam says many third-party installers and MMO-style or free-to-play titles are incompatible. For Valve games, the backup may omit saved games and custom content, so those folders must be copied separately.
Use Steam Backup to reduce the time needed to reinstall a compatible client, not as a substitute for a manual save copy. Preserve the installer, patches, and configuration files separately where the publisher and platform permit continued use.
GOG GALAXY and other PC launchers
GOG developer documentation says GOG GALAXY can synchronize a specified local save directory whenever the game launches or closes. Confirm that the correct directory is configured, allow the game to close normally, and then make a manual copy anyway. Synchronization remains a service feature; it is not a universal migration format and may not cover a server-only character.
For any launcher, distinguish between the client and the save. A launcher backup may reinstall program files while missing saves, mods, screenshots, or settings. Archive those items separately and retain a legally obtained offline installer or update package when one is offered.
Nintendo Switch: internal storage, cloud backup, and console transfer
Save Data Cloud requirements
Nintendo Save Data Cloud requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership and works only with compatible software. A compatible backup can be downloaded on another Switch 2 or Switch console where the game is playable. Check the game’s eShop or Nintendo Store listing and its Save Data Cloud menu; do not assume every title supports it.
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Why a microSD copy does not work
Nintendo’s data-management guidance says Switch save data is stored in system memory and cannot be copied to a microSD card. Deleting or archiving the game software does not itself delete the save, but deleting the user account deletes the associated save data. Keep the user profile intact until all transfers and cloud checks are complete.
Transfer directly between consoles
A nearby-console transfer requires both consoles, an internet connection, and the same Nintendo Account linked to a user on each console. Nintendo says a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required for this transfer. Follow the system’s data-transfer wizard and verify the destination before removing the source console or profile.
Mobile games and Google Play Games
Google says some games autosave when you are signed in to Google Play Games, but not all games automatically save. Google also does not manage in-app data or game accounts. A Google account backup therefore does not prove that a server-side character, purchases, or inventory can be exported.
Before shutdown, open the game’s account or cloud settings and confirm which email or provider is linked. Capture the player ID, server or region, character screen, inventory, and achievement pages. If restoration fails, Google directs players to contact the developer through the game’s store listing; the developer controls the title’s account data and migration policy.
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Data-access and portability requests
Some publishers provide an account-data access or portability process. Ubisoft’s privacy policy, for example, offers an Access your data request and says users may consult or transfer their data to another service provider. Submit such a request before the shutdown and retain the confirmation number and downloaded response.
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Treat the result as personal or account data unless the publisher explicitly calls it a playable save export. A response may contain account identifiers, transactions, support records, or profile fields without containing the encrypted world state needed by the game client.
Ask the shutdown team precise questions
- Will the character, inventory, currency, achievements, or purchases be migrated to another title or platform?
- Is there an official export format, and can the exported files be opened without the retired servers?
- Will offline mode, a local server, or an authorized community server remain available?
- What is the final date for submitting a request, and how will the response be delivered?
- Does deleting or closing the account revoke access to the client, receipts, or previously downloaded content?
Save the publisher’s written answer. A general privacy export and a game migration are different processes, and only the title-specific instructions establish whether a playable transfer exists.
Preserve progress that files cannot represent
Server-side achievements and collections may disappear even when a local save survives. Capture the information that matters to you while the service is online:
- Character or profile pages, levels, skills, equipment, cosmetics, and unlocks.
- Inventory, currency balances, crafting recipes, clans, guild memberships, and social connections.
- Achievement, trophy, leaderboard, season, and event pages.
- Settings, key bindings, accessibility options, graphics choices, and custom layouts.
- Short video clips showing rare items, completed challenges, or a preferred build.
Use original-resolution screenshots or video where possible, include the date, and store the files with the local save archive. These records document what you earned but cannot be imported into another game unless the publisher supplies a supported conversion.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A complete shutdown backup procedure
- Confirm the deadline. Record the shutdown date, time zone, final login time, and any separate transfer or export deadline.
- Map the data. Identify local saves, platform cloud files, publisher-server characters, purchases, achievements, screenshots, and linked accounts.
- Make the final save. Save in-game, exit normally, and wait for the platform’s synchronization confirmation.
- Copy local folders. Copy the complete save directories to an external USB drive and a second off-device location. Use dated folders and never overwrite the only copy.
- Download exposed cloud files. If the platform offers a cloud-file browser or download function, use it while authentication still works.
- Submit a data request. Use the publisher’s access or portability form and keep the request receipt. Ask specifically whether the result is playable without the service.
- Document server progress. Capture characters, inventories, unlocks, achievements, receipts, and account identifiers that a file cannot contain.
- Preserve the client. Keep the legally available installer, patches, configuration files, and license details. Do not assume a later reinstall will be possible.
- Test a copy safely. Open a duplicate in another folder, drive, or machine only when the game supports local loading. Never test by exposing the sole original to an older cloud copy.
- Recheck title-specific options. Look for official migration, offline, fan-server, or archival instructions before the final login window closes.
Test and restore without destroying the original
For a PC local save
- Disconnect or rename the duplicate so the launcher cannot confuse it with the live folder.
- Install the same game edition and relevant updates on a test machine or separate user profile, where legally permitted.
- Copy the duplicate into the documented save location.
- Launch without allowing an older cloud copy to overwrite the test files. If the launcher offers a cloud conflict, preserve both choices first.
- Verify that the expected profile, timestamp, and progress load. Record the game version and any error message.
For a platform cloud or console transfer
Verify the destination account before downloading. A successful transfer may replace an existing destination save. Keep screenshots of the destination’s current state and follow the platform’s warning screens exactly. If the title is incompatible with Save Data Cloud or has no supported transfer, do not infer that a microSD or generic account backup will work.
Common failure modes and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The copied folder loads no progress | The game keeps the real profile on a publisher server, or the files are account-bound | Check the shutdown FAQ and request a server-data export or migration; a larger local copy will not solve a server dependency |
| Steam shows no cloud files | The developer did not enable Steam Cloud, or the title is incompatible | Use the game’s documented local save path and make manual copies |
| A Steam cloud conflict appears | Local and server copies have different timestamps or contents | Stop, preserve both copies, identify the newest valid progress, then choose deliberately |
| The Steam Backup archive restores the client but not the save | Saved games or custom content were excluded | Copy those folders separately; treat the Steam archive as an installation aid |
| A Switch save is missing from a microSD card | Switch save data is stored in system memory | Use compatible Save Data Cloud or the console-to-console transfer process instead |
| Google Play Games restores the login but not progress | The game did not autosave to Google, or the progress is publisher-server data | Contact the developer through the store listing and provide the player ID and purchase records |
| An account-data download cannot be opened by the game | The export contains personal-data records, not a playable save format | Keep it as documentation and ask whether a separate game-state migration exists |
| The only copy was overwritten | A sync or restore operation replaced the newer files | Stop launching the game, preserve the current folder, and inspect earlier dated copies or the platform’s recovery options |
Choosing a backup method
| Method | Local or server data | Readable after shutdown? | Subscription or service dependence | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual external-drive copy | Local files only | Sometimes, if the game supports offline loading | None after the copy | Primary preservation of PC save folders and client files |
| Second cloud-storage copy | Local files uploaded off-device | Sometimes, subject to game compatibility | Cloud account and continued access to the storage service | Protection against drive loss or damage |
| Steam Cloud or GOG GALAXY sync | Only developer-configured local files | Only if the game can read those files without the retired service | Platform account and service availability | Convenient recovery between computers, not a universal export |
| Nintendo Save Data Cloud | Compatible Switch software saves | On another compatible Switch console | Nintendo Switch Online membership and title compatibility | Supported console-save recovery |
| Console-to-console transfer | Supported user save data | On the destination console | Both consoles, internet, and the same Nintendo Account | Moving a user to another Switch system |
| Publisher data-access request | Account and personal-data records; contents vary | Usually not as a playable save unless explicitly documented | Account access and the publisher’s request process | Preserving records and requesting a documented migration |
For most PC players, the strongest practical combination is a final in-game save, a manual local copy, an external-drive copy, a second off-device copy, and a publisher request. For consoles and mobile devices, use the platform’s supported transfer or cloud feature only after confirming that the specific title participates.
Quick Recap
What not to assume
- A Steam Cloud icon does not mean every account statistic or server-side item is included.
- A Nintendo Switch microSD card is not a save-data backup.
- A Google account login does not guarantee that a mobile game’s progress is recoverable.
- An account-data portability response is not automatically a playable save file.
- Keeping the installer does not preserve a service that the client must contact at launch.
- A local copy cannot create a migration path where the publisher has not provided one.
Questions to ask before the last login
- Can I transfer my character to another game? Only if the publisher documents a supported migration. There is no universal conversion format for online-game characters, inventories, or currencies.
- Will an external USB drive preserve everything? It preserves the local files you copy. It cannot export server-only progress, purchases, matchmaking records, or entitlements.
- Should I close my account after downloading my data? No. Keep it active until every export, transfer, receipt, and recovery step is complete; account closure can remove access to games and progression.
- Is a cloud backup enough? No. Cloud coverage is selective and service-dependent. Keep a second independent copy and verify what the game actually stores there.
- What if the shutdown notice provides no export? Preserve local files and the client, document server-side progress, save account and purchase records, and ask support whether offline mode or an authorized archival server will remain.
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